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Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are a professional football franchise based in Oakland, California. The Raiders began playing in 1960 as a member of the American Football League (AFL); they have been a member of the National Football League (NFL) since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. The Raiders compete in the NFL as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.

In the club's first three seasons (1960–1962), the team struggled both on and off the field. In 1963, the Raiders appointed eventual owner/general manager Al Davis to the position of head coach. Under Davis' guidance, the team's fortunes improved dramatically. In 1967, the Raiders reached the postseason for the first time; they went on to win their first, and only, AFL title that year by beating the Houston Oilers in the Championship Game, but they were defeated by the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II.

The Raiders' run of success grew during the 1970s; during this time, they won six division titles and played in six AFC championship games. In 1976, the team captured its first championship by defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. In 1980, the Raiders unexpectedly won a second championship by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV, at the time being the first NFL team to have ever done so as the wild card team in the playoffs. Two years later, the franchise relocated to Los Angeles. In 1983 (their second season since the move), they defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII to capture a third championship. The Raiders' fortunes declined considerably following the 1985 season; they would win just one division title (1990) and two playoff games over their final nine seasons in Los Angeles. In 1995, the team returned to Oakland.

In the early 2000s, the Raiders experienced a massive (albeit brief) resurgence; their renaissance culminated with a 2002 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. The team has struggled significantly ever since that Super Bowl loss. While the Raiders' fortunes somewhat improved in 2010 and 2011, they have neither reached the playoffs nor attained a winning record (any record better than .500) in 12 seasons. They most recently finished 7–9 in 2015.

Today, the Raiders are known for their extensive fan base and distinctive team culture. Since 1963, the team has won 15 division titles (three AFL and 12 NFL), three Super Bowls, four AFC titles (1976, 1980, 1983, and 2002) and an AFL Championship. 14 former members of the team have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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